Teen Titan surprise (Spoilers)

I don't read Teen Titans until well after the books come out. We mainly get it for the thirteen-year-old, and she prefers trades, so we wait. So, since I'm far less patient than she is (and because of content crossover between titles), I generally read internet discussions of the book as they come out.

Therefore I've read quite a bit about Teen Titans this week:

Death comes suddenly...unexpectedly...
Walkin' the Dog.
Okay, that's Hilarious.
Wonderdog Did What?!?
In This Issue...Wendy and Marvin DIE!

I never watched Superfriends as a kid; we lived out in the boonies with a good antenna, but we still got nothing but CBS and Canada on our TV, and since Superfriends was on ABC, it wasn't an option. (Also, apart from the first year I would have been a little old for it. Well, my little brother would have watched it, so I probably would have as well, so never mind that. In any case neither of us did.) This might mean that I lack the nostalgic fondness for Wendy and Marvin that so many folks seem to have, and it might mean that I lack the Wendy-Marvin loathing that so many other folks seem to have. In fact it means both.

The thirteen-year-old knew who modern Wendy and Marvin were in the comic book because, well, she reads the comic book; however, the characters did not particularly interest her. She did not know about classic Wendy and Marvin, and did not know that modern comic-book Wendy and Marvin were based on anything in particular. She is not particularly bothered by the idea of the story.

The nine-year-old doesn't care for the book (I think because it's so different from the animated series, which she liked) so doesn't read it.

So kids on the whole aren't likely to have any particular connections to Wendy and Marvin, or any expectations that a Wendy/Marvin story is likely to be of the cute and funny sort rather than the dark and depressing sort. However, I do kind of see the point about the parents, with regard to the cover of the comic (which does point toward the story being in the cute and funny category). Many parents are of the age where, if they aren't comic readers, they may well have formed their impressions of comic books from what they saw on Superfriends. Wendy and Marvin and Wonder Dog on the cover is just going to confirm that.

Now, they ought to at least flip through the book before buying it for their six-year-old. I would, if I were buying a comic for the nine-year-old. But I will admit that if I were buying a Marvel Adventures or Johnny DC title, I might not look too carefully, because I know those books are kid-oriented. I also know, however, that comics on the whole can't be counted on to be kid-friendly--and I don't know that the non-comic-reading parent knows that. It wouldn't be all that surprising if a parent in a hurry made a purchase based entirely on the cover.

My point? It's the parent's job to be aware of what their kids are reading. It's not the comic company's responsibility. However, it may be in the comic company's interest to ensure that six-year-olds with less cautious parents don't get nasty surprises.